1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a transmission device capable of transmission and printing of facsimile data.
2. Description of Related Art
Conventionally, there has been known a facsimile device including an ink jet printer capable of printing an image on a recording sheet based on facsimile data. The printer includes a cartridge storing ink and a print head formed with ink passages and nozzles. Ink in the cartridge is supplied through the ink passages and ejected through the nozzles toward a recording sheet, thereby forming an image on the recording sheet.
However, the ink passages can be clogged with ink, so that ink ejection become defective. In order to determine whether the ink passages are clogged or not, an indication mark, such as a circular black dot, is printed at a predetermined position on the recording sheet, and then, a mark sensor attempts to detect the indication mark. If the mark sensor cannot properly detect the indication mark, it is determined that the printing is defective.
When printing is determined to be defective, a message is displayed on a display screen to inform the user of this condition. Also, the facsimile device is switched to its memory mode wherein received facsimile data is stored as backup data in a memory without printing of the facsimile data being performed.
However, in the conventional facsimile device, when external light intrudes into the facsimile device, the mark sensor may erroneously detect the mark. That is, when external light intrudes into the facsimile device, then the indication mark may not be properly detected regardless of whether the indication mark has been properly printed or not. As a result, operations may be unnecessarily performed as if the ink passages are clogged, and the facsimile device will be switched to the memory mode.
Also, the user is required to erase backup data from the memory at an appropriate timing. More specifically, the user inputs a command for printing of backup data stored in the memory if necessary. Then, the user needs to input an another command for erasing the backup data from the memory. Otherwise, the memory will soon be filled up with backup data. In this case, no newly received facsimile data can be stored in the memory. This causes loss of facsimile data. Also, an empty capacity of the memory will be run out when the user attempts to make a large number of copies in multicolor. This disables the user to make such copies.